I just got a weeMail and spent the last couple hours navigating through Alchemy Architects' newly redesigned weeHouse website. I love it because you can see houses they've built, projects in planning, and you can even build your own weeHouse.

I mentioned Nanosolar back in August because I found an excellent video about the company — they’re poised to dramatically flip this solar industry inside out. Today comes news that they shipped their first product and received an actual revenue check. This is a big deal. Thin film solar is incredible because it can be used more flexibly and produced at a much lower cost.

Their powersheet product was recognized by Popular Science as 2007 Innovation of the Year. Now that the product is a reality, we’re going to see some craziness. They’ve accomplished a slew of world’s firsts (below) and decided to auction off an early batch of product on eBay. Unfortunately, that’s all you’re likely to get because they’re sold out for the next 12 months! Better start your orders now.

The renderings in this article are of BaleHaus by ModCell. This UK concept springs from the three positions that we need to: (1) live within our environmental means, (2) maintain a healthy and comfortable quality of life, and (3) build strong communities. Stated otherwise, the BaleHaus is meant to provide good, comfortable living with a guilt-free eco-conscience. BaleHaus is super-insulated, boxy and functional, and geared towards communal living. More renderings below …

Vampire energy, aka phantom loads, is estimated to cost U.S. consumers about $3 billion per year. I know, it’s not really that much … I mean, if you break it down to the individual level, that’s only $10 per person ($3 billion / 300 million). But the point is, it’s money that goes in the pocketbook of energy companies and their shareholders — it’s not going in yours. The chart above is courtesy of GOOD, the magazine that always brings a full-page spread to otherwise obfuscatory information.

Lee Industries, a high quality, custom furniture company has introduced an impressive eco line: naturalLEE. The beauty of Lee has always been that you can choose one of their fabrics and one of their furniture designs and have a custom piece made to fit your style. Now, with naturalLEE, you can still choose any one of their furniture design and they will make it naturally!

I’m starting to run dry on eco-tower projects to talk about on Sundays, so maybe we can get a few more to pop up in Dubai? This skyscraper, Tower Verre, might just be the next green structure in New York. Well, more specifically, Tower Verre is on the table and ready to go, but I’m not entirely sure whether it will be green. WAN notes the following: "solar panels and wind turbines fill the narrow triangular top section, putting its unusually thin silhouette to a reasonable use. This tower is a monument to the rules of shadow and light, and to the forces of the wind." ## I haven’t been able to confirm the use of solar and wind in the tower’s pinnacle, but as always, I think it’s positive to have solar/wind integrated into structures in a meaningful way.